To change our surname because no one can pronounce it?

[PotterAndHisWand]

I mean no one, unless they're Irish, but we live in South East England.....

I would either change the spelling to suit the pronunciation, or change the pronunciation to suit the spelling.

I did this to my surname - I pronounce it differently to the rest of my family.

My father-in-law also did this, so my husband's surname is pronounced differently by different branches of his family.

Just makes life easier. Language evolves all the time, I'm just helping it along in my own interest. :)

pffft you need my surname (from the first marriage which I share with DS) I shan't change until DS can change his to the much more straightforward surname my husband has.

Our name is Middle Eastern and no one, and I do mean no one ever pronounces or spells it correctly and it's only 5 letters.

Ever.

I think whatever your surname you still get mispronunciations from some thick fuckers

My surname is Chambers. I thought it was quite a common normal Ish easy to pronounce name.... Oh no... Cham(rhymes with Tam)- bers. Every fucking time.

But... At least its an improvement on my maiden name McLeod... "mac lee oid" arghhhhhhh

My Maiden name was a French name that not one person ever pronounced correctly and their spellings of it were cringeworthy. I was very glad to change it when I married even though I didn't particularly like my (1st) married name. I remarried and even though I'm divorced (again!) I kept my 2nd married name as it's easy to spell (mostly!!) and pronounce...My Dc's even have that as their surname too.

I would say that if you are really unhappy with the way other people say/spell it, then change it. Perhaps you could spell it so that it's phonetic? that way you keep it, but other people wont wind you up so much.

My maiden name is an extremely common english name and people still spelt that wrong. drove me up the wall. Now I am married though it is even worse, so I am reverting back to my maiden name professionally

Then you get people who have c
hanged the pronunciation and confuse everyone who does know how to say it properly the originally way. Menzies is one I can think of

My friend is married to a guy with an Arabic surname. She can't pronounce it. She kept her own name, but she can't pronounce her son's last name. Makes us laugh.

I wouldn't change my name. I have to spell mine every time, so does my partner. But it's nice. It's a talking point. People always ask where our names are from (mine is Scottish, his is Irish).

Change it if you want, or don't it's purely down to you, but people aren't being malicious when they can't pronounce it how you do (which isn't always "properly" since other people could pronounce the same spelling completely differently) Just correct them and carry on. I have a 3 letter English name and lots more than half of people pronounce it differently to how I do. I simply correct them and carry on.

The irony of Kitchen Roll's complaint is that most Irish surnames were anglicised from Irish several centuries ago by English officials, so its not our fault the English can't complain .

Sorry....so the English can't complain

I completely understand wanting to name change. I have an awful west coast of Ireland surname that no one can pronounce. Infact it has already at some point had an additional letter added in to it by an english bank manager so that it could be pronounced easier. My maiden name was northern irish and not much better. A few years ago when my four boys were younger I decided to change it to my husbands mothers maiden name. The two eldest boys disagreed and so I never did change it, but I regret it to this day.

suppose it's as bad as having to say 'browne with an e' or 'smyth with a y' all the time.

I had a very straight-forward, easy english maiden name, it was often mis-spelt although rarely ever mis pronounced. I now have a relatively easy to pronounce and not that difficult to spell south african surname, however when people see it written down they hardly ever even attempt to say it. I often get calls where I get asked if I am Mrs van er....... If I am in a good mood I cut them off and say, call me by my first name, if I am in an evil unforgiving mood I say nope, sorry thats not my name! It always makes me smile when someone has a really good attempt at it.
Saying that... I am fairly sure that my husband and his family pronounce our surname different to me!

An ex boyfriend and I went to visit his relatives in LA. They were all UK born Patels. Easy enough and obvious to anyone English as it's so common here.
I was amazed that everyone in LA referred to his cousins as Mr & Mrs Padle, rhymes with ladle. And they answered to it. They said it was just easier to go with the flow. When one of them said once it's PaTEL he was teased for being poncy!

I have a difficult foreign surname which I am constantly having to spell and correct. At the doctors rather than Mrs xxxxx as they would call for most they use my first name only. I don't even bother to tell people my name anymore I just spell it straight off!

I wouldn't change it. Everyone has something with their name. Noone can pronounce DP's name but he just either corrects them if he can be arsed. Or goes along with their stab at it if he can't. It really doesn't matter does it?

PuffPants - I'm not expecting everyone to pronounce it with an Irish accent, it is not Mc KEWAN, it's Mc KEOWN... Ke -own is not Kew -an, it's a different name, regardless of pronounciation

I'm interested to know what the other hard to pronounce surnames are or is it just me who has outed herself?!

What do you plan to change it to then? Smith?

My maiden name was often pronounced wrong
But I can't tell you it because it is quite unusual and I could be found by....well probably no one would be interested but it makes me sound more mysterious!

That was really unhelpful wasn't it
But I do sympathise. My married name is really easy and REALLY common

Oh my surname in southern european countries is said as 'peee-arse'. England I'm often mistaken for mrs Peace. Who cares and it's just a name.

Smith would be cool!

DH likes Steel

My maiden name was pretty rubbish but when I first met DH I saw him name written down and I was like, oh no, that annoying name I don't know how to say... Now everyone else must think that when they see my name!

I have a foreign surname which no-one can spell or pronounce and causes sniggers but having had it all my life i am sort of used to it - I get on first name terms very quickly. You've only been somewhere your name is a problem for a bit so you are not used to it - i'd stick with it.